Stories of more than passing significance

Not the end yet: Seasoned readers may recall our piece Is Omicron the last Hurrah for Covid? (LSS 20 12 21) in which we noted speculations that omicron might spell the end for Covid-19. Not so fast!- as Nature makes all too clear: Will Omicron end the pandemic?

The World Health Organization and others have suggested the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant could signal the end of the pandemic, because of the short-term surge in immunity that will follow. Researchers warn that the situation remains volatile and difficult to model. Different vaccine strategies, types and take-up rates from country to country, as well as fluctuating rates of infection and recovery, have left a diverse immunological landscape. So, how will it end? Not with Omicron, researchers predict. “This will not be the last variant, and so the next variant will have its own characteristics,” says infectious-diseases modeller Graham Medley.Nature | 7 min read

Denisovans are not just DNA The initial discovery of a new lineage of humans, the Denisovans, entirely by their DNA was exciting. But where are the remains of this third member of the modern human family? There are a couple of fingers, a tooth and a jaw. Now Michael Marshall of New Scientist speculates that a partial skull from Xujiayao in China might be linked to our exiguous cousins. Could there be more fragments, some in the ground, some in museums, which could shed more light?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2305830-160000-year-old-fossil-may-be-the-first-denisovan-skull-weve-found/

MIcheal’s piece may be paywalled, so here is the original paper

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047248421001718

Hangxiety Do some people get panic attacks after a night on the booze, in addition to all the other unpleasant symptoms? Craig Gunn looks at the whos, whens, whys and whats for The Conversation

https://theconversation.com/hangxiety-why-some-people-experience-anxiety-during-a-hangover-176285?u

End of the ice won’t take ages Greenland alone is now melting at a terrifying rate. The reason we respect this is that it comes from the impeccably right wing Daily Mail, not a bastion of woke correctness. Moral: if they’re worried, so should you be

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10476139/Climate-change-Greenland-lost-ice-2002-submerge-1-5-FEET-water.html

Fish Spill clue to human mystery species The mystery being : How can any creature dare to call itself Homo SAPIENS, goddammitt, when it can do things like this to the planet? Guardian and agencies

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/05/shock-in-france-after-giant-trawler-sheds-100000-dead-fish-off-coast

On that sardonic note, we’ll leave you. Let’s hope there will be enough fish in the ocean to go with your Friday night cocktail

#denisovans #human evolution #Sars-Cov-2 #covid-19 #ecology #sustainibility #global warming #climate change

“When facts change, I change my mind.” When JM Keynes wrote those words he spoke not just for economists, but for intelligent people everywhere. Which is why we’d like you to at least think about the work of Professor Livnat and his team at Haifa Univeristy, as ably reported by Ryan Morrison of the Mail [1] For the Professor and his team may have found evidence of non random mutations in the part of our genes that codes for the HbS protein that helps protect us from Malaria.

Why is this important? Because the central tenet of evolutionary theory is that mutations in the genome accumulate at random; the consequences of these are selected in the environment so that those with the most favourable mutations survive and reproduce at higher rates. The alternative, proposed by Lamarck, is that somehow organisms “learn” from their environment, and thus modify their own inheritances. So far there has been little evidence for this.

Yet now the team at Haifa seem to have found evidence of mutations in the HbS genes occurring at a rate faster than might be expected from random, inherent mutation. If so, it will be ground breaking, doing for Biology what the famous Michelson Morley result did for physics. So how do we at LSS respond?

1 Caution, as ever. There have been Lamarckian upswings before in the history of biology-most recently associated with epigenetics-but the central doctrine, as t’were, has still held firm

2 There seems to be one supporting study (see the article) but we’d like to see a lot more

3 If information gets back to the genes from the environment, how? And how is it stored. If giraffes learn to grow longer necks by stretching, how do they tell their genes to store the new data?

4 Professor Livnat agrees random mutations still play a big part. Pray tell us, how is this contribution integrated with the “learned” contribution-at a level of explanation that would satisfy an information scientist.

Yes, we at LSS are open minded, and long for more money for the Professor and his team. But we are also skeptics on all matters, and the wisest counsel is: wait and see.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10465347/New-study-suggests-genetic-mutations-NOT-random.html

Ryan’s article has a great hyperlink to the original paper

#natural selection #mutation #lamarck #dna #evolution #biology

Kent, garden of England. Land of apple orchards and oasthouses. Of prosperous gin-and jag commuter towns. Of Geezers in white vans of whom it was once said “they have tools and language, but no culture”. Harsh! Of white cliffs and deep green forests. And all of them voting Conservative since at least the time of King Oisc (458-512 AD) You’d think Labour would love to get a foothold there somehow. And so they did in 2017 when the affable Rosie Duffield took the Cathedral/University town of Canterbury. If you want to learn how Labour will now throw it away, read this link by Jessica Elgot of The Guardian:

ttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/30/canterbury-mp-rosie-duffield-considering-quitting-labour

The reason that the Tories keep winning is that they have a far better understanding of the words “needs” and “grievances.” What each word means, and what importance to address to either. Working class people aren’t fools: they too have dictionaries. Until Labour (and many other progressive forces such as liberals, social democrats, socialists and the rest) make the same effort, they will continue to lose. And rightly so.

#politics #rosie duffield #labour #conservative #working class

_{Only one this week, but we think it’s rather important:}

Maybe those old Enlightenment guys, Adam Smith and the others, were on to something. Their findings were painfully simple. Facts would be collected and subjected to Reason. Conclusions could be drawn, and Right Action initiated. It gave us such things as soap, democracy, mass education, telephones, scientific medicine, even space travel. Well, it had a good run, but now its day seems to be coming to end.

Because facts and reason are not how most people guide their lives. The history of the last ten years has seen freedom fall to tyranny, conspiracy theories surge, and explosions of irrational popular rage. Most peoples’ decisions aren’t made through reading learned articles in The Economist, but through a bundle of competing grievances, unmet needs, insecurities and obsessions. Readers, we’re not asking you to abandon fact and reason. But they must be applied urgently to understand the raw dark matter of human unreason, or we are all lost. Dazzled by our progress in things like space and computers, this has been left in its infancy. Better roll up our sleeves and get started.

One such place is an intriguing paper in Nature Behaviour :Conspiracy Mentality and Political Orientation across 26 countries by Roland Imhoff and his collaborators [1]. We liked it for many reasons. The size of the data sets. The thoroughness of the statistics. The quiet humility in the face of the facts. Above all for the questions it posed. What is an Authoritarian personality? Why are conspiracy theories more common among the defeated and the lower-educated? Why did the phrase “deprived of political control” keep coming up? If you believe one conspiracy, do you believe them all? Do conspiracies offer the bewildered a chance to restore a feeling of control, of understanding? That the terrible task of having to engage with complexity has been magically staved off?

For us, this work is a jumping-off point, a source of questions, not answers. But it lays down themes which we will be coming back to, with your help of course. To end, a little quote from Proverbs 3:12, always one of our favourites in dark times:

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her

As David Brent would say; “It starts here!”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01258-7

#conspiracy theories #climate change denial #Qanon #religion #alternative facts #illuminati #political left #political right #Donald Trump #anti-vaxxers

This week, courtesy of Drinks International[2] and Vinepair,[1] both stalwart voices for sophistication and style, we are proud to offer their take on the top 50 cocktails for 2022. Which will help to set the tone for the rest of the twenties, we hope. After all, if 1922 was the birth of the modern, according to the BBC,[3] why should 2022 not offer itself as the Birth of the Modern Cocktail?

We won’t get between you and them much further, ladies and gentleman. Read the link for yourself. Every one has a pretty good recipe, plus a well-taken picture to check if you’ve got the mix just right. There’s real old favourites like Long Island Iced Tea and the Sidecar. Topical themes like Penicillin and the Moscow Mule. Bond fans will recognise Dry Martini, Vesper and Vieu Carre (well he wrote spy fiction too, didn’t he?). And finally you will find the Top Five, with a cheeky newcomer at Number 1. But we won’t spoil it for you. And one note of caution: don’t try to make all 50 in one go! One a night, which is to say Friday Night, should be enough for all and any one of you.

[1] https://vinepair.com/articles/50-most-popular-cocktails-world-2017/

[2] https://drinksint.com/

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0013r19

#friday night cocktails #top 50

Imagine you are a member of the Taliban, or one of their admirers in the Humanities Departments of certain western Universities, and you read about someone who made some of the most important contributions ever in theoretical physics. That this person collaborated closely with Albert Einstein. Then went on to transform mathematics. But you discover that this person was a woman. How do you feel now about banning education for women?

Emily Noether (1882-1935) began her working life as a teacher of foreign languages, as women were not admitted into science departments. Gradually her abilities shone through enough for the more thoughtful souls to recruit her as a teacher and researcher in the mathematics department, though the pay and pensions package was decidedly exiguous. Our Wikipedia link [1] will tell you all you need to know about the profundity of her achievements. Suffice thereof these tiny quote from Wikipedia which shows how Emmy took the biscuit, intellectually speaking of course:

_{She discovered Noether’s theorem, which is fundamental in mathematical physics.^[1] She was described by Pavel Alexandrov, Albert Einstein, Jean Dieudonné, Hermann Weyl and Norbert Wiener as the most important woman in the history of mathematics.^[2][3] As one of the leading mathematicians of her time, she developed some theories of rings, fields, and algebras. In physics, Noether’s theorem explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws.}

Not only was she a woman, she was Jewish. This combination of offences was enough to enrage the new Nazi Government of Germany who drove her from her post at Goettingen University. She fled to the United States and was welcomed at Bryn Mawr. Sadly she only lived for two more years, not enough to witness the downfall of the ignorant, murderous and misogynistic regime which had done her such harm.

Emmy’s legacy is greater than her work. For it shows like nothing else the fullest possible education of women is of imminent benefit to us all. And that those who oppose it, and their cheerers-on, are our most fundamental enemies.

#Islamic extremism #nazi #physics #mathematics #women #education for girls #science #

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Two thousand years ago a group of Chinese mathematicians came up with a new form of mathematics called matrices. It must have seemed a bit abstract and ivory tower to the man-on-the Shanghai-omnibus. “yeah, just the sort of stuff that metropolitan elite like,” he would have sneered. Well the metropolitan elite, or to give them their proper name, the Educated, carried on with this line of abstract research. Eventually Larry Page used an aspect their findings called stationary distributions to create the multitrillion dollar company Google. Quite an application for the pure research.

David Sumpter, writing in the Guardian, has a whole set (unintended pun) of examples of how pure, seemingly abstruse research turned into practical applications. [1]. Click to the link to see how Cauchy‘s ideas of gradient descent changed the game for YouTube. Or how Sir David Cox‘ theory of logistic recession is the toast of all successful gamblers everywhere. Our own example is James Clark Maxwell, without whose theories you would not have turned on an electric light this morning, let alone be reading this.

And so it goes. Today’s abstract, new, thought is tomorrow’s refrigerator. Or laptop. Or vaccine. In this seemingly intractable war between the educated and the uneducated, our side must defend the value of learning for its own sake. One day it will pay dividends. It’s a theme we shall return to in future posts.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/24/equations-google-billion-dollar-bits-of-maths

#pure research #applied research #education #mathematics #technology #google #youtube #computers

stories which we think will have a lasting impact

Here’s what science can do The dream of restoring sight tom the blind is one the most inspiring we know. If you get enough scientists, doctors and other educated people into teams, this is what they can achieve. From the Mail staff

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10425271/Bionic-eye-implant-lets-blind-woman-see.html

Pristine Coral Reef discovered near Tahiti It’s not all doom and gloom as this little clipping from Nature shows

Scientists at UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization, have discovered a pristine coral reef, undisturbed for at least 25 years, off the coast of Tahiti. The reef is 3 kilometres long and 30 metres below the ocean’s surface — deeper than most known coral reefs. There could be many more reefs at similar depths, which scientists think might help these ecosystems to better survive climate change. “It was like a work of art,” said underwater photographer Alexis Rosenfeld. “Giant, beautiful rose corals stretching as far as the eye can see.”BBC | 3 min read

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/19/world/coral-reef-tahiti-twilight-zone-climate-scn/index.html

Anti-semitism The conspiracy theorist’s conspiracy theory Jonathan D Sarna looks at the oldest conspiracy theory of all for The Conversation Others have followed, providing equal opportunities for cranks and sociopaths large and small. Time for the educated to start seriously looking at the psychological and economic roots of deluded beliefs, we think.

https://theconversation.com/how-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-contributed-to-the-recent-hostage-taking-at-the-texas-synagogue-175229?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest

Another blow for Nessie A new investigation deepens the credibility crisis for the Loch Ness Monster and his legions of adoring followers. (Thought-does this remind you of someone else, further south?) We were among those who doubted him from the start. Loch Ness is only about fifteen thousand years old, whereas the last plesiosaur went belly up at least 65 million years ago. But, Nessie fans, hold your heads up! Because it looks like your poster boy couldn’t.

Loch Ness Monster sightings get one simple thing wrong, say fossil experts

with contributions from Mr Peter Seymour

#loch ness monster #boris johnson #bionic eyes #medical research #conspiracy theories #anti-semitism #ecology #wildlife #tahiti

Among the Convivial Community, no Christmas is complete without a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur on hand. Its dark rich tones and creamy, yet slightly rasping combination of savours fits well into a world of twinkling lights and roaring log fires. But what do do in austere January as the harsh winds of new resolutions and repaid debts make a three-quarters empty Christmas bottle of Baileys suddenly forlorn and out of place, like a Rolls Royce Phantom on a Lidl forecourt?

Fortunately, Baileys themselves have come galloping to the rescue. The company’s website is a veritable cornucopia of recipes for Baileys. There are cocktails, warm beverages, biscuits, desserts, coffee combinations and many other ideas which are a tribute to powers of human imagination and ingenuity. So many so that all we can do is urge you to click on the site link below [1]. Meanwhile we will pick out a couple of the more notable cocktails, of which we severely liked the look.

Flat white martini Nice and simple-just Baileys, Vodka, espresso and a few coffee beans. We still remember this at what was then our local boozer in Hammersmith on Valentines Night 2003. Strongly recommended.

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/flat-white-martini-cocktail

Baileys Tiramisu Talking of Valentines Night, what lady would not like this rather clever combination of favourite dessert/favourite tipple? A cunning plan for selling the next bottle, we suspect!

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/baileys-tiramisu-cocktail

Chocolate Orange s’mores martini cocktail Certainly needs a little more labour to go in before you can start the drinking. But surely the way to appease your puritan new year conscience.

The LSS Baileys recycle special. Not on the website, but our own invention designed to push back the limits of resource recycling and thrifty use of every possible drop. Take 1 measure of Irish Whiskey and pour it down the neck of your Baileys bottle. Replace cap on bottle and shake. Pour the remnants into cocktail glasses over ice. How’s that for economy?

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/baileys-chocolate-orange-smores-martini-cocktail

We’re sure you will find other sites and other excellent recipes. Our efforts are entirely designed to get you stared. If it’s criminal to waste food, it must be to waste drink. Old Baileys is just the place to start your virtuous new year of recycle, make and mend. Cheers!

[1] https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes

#baileys #cocktails #new year resolution

It’s started to bite . For years LSS and many others have warned of the dangers of ignoring the problem of antibiotic resistant micro-organisms. With limited effect. Because now the consequences of that blithe ignorance are clear. Antibiotic resistance (1.3 million deaths in 2019) now kills more people every year than HIV (860 000) or malaria(640 000)

We’ll let Andrew Gregory of the Guardian tell the full grim statistics of the current situation [1]. His links to the Lancet study will allow thoughtful readers to dig deeper if they wish. Our role today is to consider how this avoidable catastrophe arose.

A growing disdain for state action The early developments of successive generations of antibiotics occurred in a climate of co-operation between Governments, Academia and Pharmaceuticals firms. R and D risks were essentially underwritten by a social contract.

The supply chain freezes The new “private sector profits at all costs” model which triumphed after 1979 handed all responsibility for new developments to drugs companies. Who have to make a profit. And there are no profits in antibiotic development. No new antibiotics.

Cut taxes and give us our Sony Walkmans The consumer culture of the 1980s demanded two things A) instant gratification of every wish B) the reduction of all impediments which might inconvenience this, such as a rational level of taxation. The consumers got their Sony Walkmans. They lost a healthy infrastructure of institutions that might have developed new antibiotics. We hope they still enjoy their Sony Walkmans.

One upmanship The suburban battles over who has the biggest car/kitchen/number of bedrooms/bathrooms spills over into the ferocious mutual jealousies for pride and status among the nations. Never mind if your country is poor, disease ridden cold and hungry. It showed that lot next door who’s The Daddy! The result is furious arms races involving colossal levels of expenditure which could have been better placed in scientific research. Like new antibiotics perhaps?

Blind Aggression Medical professionals have been known to live in fear of angry, aggressive patients who demand antibiotic treatments instantly, regardless of the nature of their malady The result is over prescription and the evolution of further resistant organisms.

Blind Greed The desire of most of humanity for huge take-aways of cheap greasy meats has lead to a reckless over use of antibiotics in factory farms. Such dense crowds of over nurtured animals are a perfect evolutionary cauldron for the next anti biotic resistant superbug. It’s just a matter of time and mathematics.

It isn’t Governments. It isn’t media tycoons. It isn’t Pharmaceutical companies. The blame lies with each and every one of us. For we are like heirs who have squandered one of the greatest inheritances ever. Time to take action.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/20/antimicrobial-resistance-antibiotic-resistant-bacterial-infections-deaths-lancet-study

#antibiotic resistance #superbugs #public health #health #research #medicine